Zug

Zug tso͞ok [key], canton (1993 pop. 87,100), 93 sq mi (241 sq km), N central Switzerland. The smallest canton in Switzerland, it is a forested and mountainous region with orchards, meadows, and pastures in the valleys. Fruit cultivation is a main occupation, and the region has industries in textiles, beer, and metal goods. Its inhabitants are mainly German-speaking and Catholic. Owned by the counts of Kyburg and later (after 1273) by the Hapsburg family, Zug joined the Swiss Confederation in 1352 and again in 1364, after a return to Hapsburg domination. In 1845 the canton joined the Catholic Sonderbund . Zug gained its current constitution in 1894. Its capital, Zug (1993 pop. 21,700), is on the Lake of Zug (15 sq mi/39 sq km). It has manufactures of metalware, electrical equipment, and textiles, and is an important cattle market. Zug retains a medieval flavor. Its Church of St. Oswald is one of the most splendid late-Gothic churches in Switzerland.